Latch assembly

Abstract

A latch assembly is provided for a movable closure element. The latch assembly has a housing and a first rotor that is movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position and b) a release position. The first rotor is biased towards the release position and has a first throat to receive a strike element. The latch assembly further consists of an operating assembly having a latched state and an unlatched state The operating assembly in the latched state releasably maintains the first rotor in the first latched position. The operating assembly has a catch arm that is movable relative to the housing from a first position into a second position to thereby change the operating assembly from the latched state into the unlatched state. The operating assembly further has a catch block that is movable floatingly relative to the catch arm from a) an engaged position with the catch arm in the first position into b) a disengaged position as an incident of the catch arm moving from its first position into its second position. The catch block in the engaged position causes the first rotor to be maintained in the first latched position.

1. A latch assembly for a movable closure element, said latch assembly comprising:
 a housing;  
 a first rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position and b) a release position,  
 the first rotor having a first throat to receive a strike element,  
 the first rotor biased toward the release position; and  
 an operating assembly having a latched state and an unlatched state,  
 the operating assembly in the latched state releasably maintaining the first rotor in the first latched position,  
 the operating assembly comprising a catch arm that is movable relative to the housing from a first position into a second position to thereby change the operating assembly from the latched state into the unlatched state,  
 the operating assembly further comprising a catch block that is movable floatingly relative to the catch arm from a) an engaged position with the catch arm in the first position into b) a disengaged position as an incident of the catch arm moving from its first position into its second position,  
 the catch block in the engaged position causing the first rotor to be maintained in the first latched position,  
 wherein the catch block is mounted to the catch arm for pivoting movement relative to the catch arm around an axis and for translatory movement relative to the catch arm transversely to the axis.  
 
   
   
     2. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the catch block in the engaged position directly engages the first rotor to maintain the first rotor in the first latched position. 
   
   
     3. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the catch block has an angular orientation relative to the housing and the catch block is maintained in substantially the same angular orientation relative to the housing as the catch block changes between the engaged and disengaged positions. 
   
   
     4. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the catch block is biased towards an operating angular orientation relative to the housing. 
   
   
     5. The latch assembly according to  claim 4  wherein there is a single spring element that both biases the catch block toward the operating angular orientation and biases the first rotor toward the release position. 
   
   
     6. The latch assembly according to  claim 5  wherein the single spring element comprises a formed wire. 
   
   
     7. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising a second rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position and b) a release position, the second rotor having a second throat to receive a strike element, the first and second rotors in their respective first latched positions arranged so that the first and second throats cooperatively define a receptacle for a strike element. 
   
   
     8. The latch assembly according to  claim 7  wherein the second rotor is biased towards its release position. 
   
   
     9. The latch assembly according to  claim 8  wherein the catch block in the engaged position causes the second rotor to be maintained in its first latched position. 
   
   
     10. The latch assembly according to  claim 9  wherein the catch block is biased towards an operating angular orientation relative to the housing. 
   
   
     11. The latch assembly according to  claim 10  wherein a bias force is exerted on the catch block at first and second spaced locations to thereby bias the catch block towards the operating angular orientation. 
   
   
     12. The latch assembly according to  claim 11  wherein there is a first single spring element that exerts a bias force on the catch block at the first location to thereby bias the catch block towards the operating angular orientation and biases the first rotor towards its release position. 
   
   
     13. The latch assembly according to  claim 12  wherein there is a second single spring element that exerts a bias force on the catch block at the second location to thereby bias the catch block towards the operating angular orientation and bias the second rotor towards its release position. 
   
   
     14. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the catch block is pivotable relative to the catch arm around a first axis, the first rotor is pivotable relative to the housing around a second axis, the first and second axes are substantially parallel to each other, and the catch arm is pivotable relative to the housing between the first and second positions. 
   
   
     15. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the catch block is pivotable relative to the catch arm around a first axis and the catch block and catch arm cooperate to limit pivoting of the catch block relative to the catch arm to a predetermined range. 
   
   
     16. The latch assembly according to  claim 6  wherein the formed wire has a first free end and a second free end, the first free end is engaged with the catch block and the second free end is engaged with the first rotor. 
   
   
     17. The latch assembly according to  claim 16  wherein the housing comprises first and second parts joined by an axle and the formed wire is wrapped around the axle. 
   
   
     18. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  in combination with a movable closure element. 
   
   
     19. The latch assembly according to  claim 18  in combination with a support for the closure element, the closure element movable relative to the support. 
   
   
     20. The latch assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the first rotor is movable relative to the housing into a second latched position and the operating assembly has a second latched state wherein the operating assembly maintains the first rotor in the second latched position. 
   
   
     21. In combination:
 a) a closure element;  
 b) a support for the closure element,  
 the closure element mounted for selective movement relative to the support between first and second positions;  
 c) a strike element on the support; and  
 d) a latch assembly on the movable closure element, the latch assembly comprising:  
 a housing;  
 a first rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position and b) a release position,  
 the first rotor engageable with the strike element with the closure element in its first position,  
 the first rotor biased toward the release position; and  
 an operating assembly having a latched state and an unlatched state,  
 the operating assembly in the latched state releasably maintaining the first rotor in the first latched position,  
 the operating assembly comprising a catch arm that is movable relative to the housing from a first position into a second position relative to the housing to thereby change the operating assembly from the latched state into the unlatched state,  
 the operating assembly further comprising a catch block that is mounted on, and moveable floatingly relative to, the catch arm from a) an engaged position with the catch arm in the first position into b) a disengaged position as an incident of the catch arm moving from its first position into its second position,  
 the catch block in the engaged position causing the first rotor to be maintained in the first latched position,  
 wherein the catch block has an angular orientation relative to the housing and the catch block is maintained in substantially the same angular orientation relative to the housing as the catch block changes between the engaged and disengaged positions,  
 wherein the catch block is biased towards the same angular orientation relative to the housing.  
 
   
   
     22. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein the catch block in the engaged position directly engages the first rotor to maintain the first rotor in the first latched position, and the catch arm is pivotable relative to the housing around an axis between the first and second positions. 
   
   
     23. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein the catch block is mounted for pivoting movement relative to the catch arm. 
   
   
     24. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein there is a single spring element that both biases the catch block toward the operating angular orientation and biases the first rotor toward the release position. 
   
   
     25. The combination according to  claim 24  wherein the single spring element comprises a formed wire. 
   
   
     26. The combination according to  claim 24  further comprising a second rotor movable relative to the housing selectively between a) a first latched position and b) a release position, the second rotor having a second throat to receive a strike element, the first and second rotors in their respective first latched positions arranged so that the first and second throats cooperatively define a receptacle for a strike element. 
   
   
     27. The combination according to  claim 25  wherein the second rotor is biased towards its release position. 
   
   
     28. The combination according to  claim 26  wherein the catch block in the engaged position causes the second rotor to be maintained in its first latched position. 
   
   
     29. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein a bias force is exerted on the catch block at first and second spaced locations to thereby bias the catch block towards the operating angular orientation. 
   
   
     30. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein the operating assembly further comprises a first actuator element, movable relative to the catch arm, for moving the catch arm from its first position into its second position. 
   
   
     31. The combination according to  claim 30  wherein the first actuator element comprises a graspable handle to facilitate movement of the first actuator element. 
   
   
     32. The combination according to  claim 30  wherein the operating assembly further comprises a second actuator element, movable relative to the catch arm, for moving the catch arm from its first position into its second position. 
   
   
     33. The combination according to  claim 32  wherein the second actuator element is movable relative to the catch arm without causing movement of the first actuator element. 
   
   
     34. The combination according to  claim 21  wherein the first rotor is movable relative to the housing into a second latched position and the operating assembly has a second latched state wherein the operating assembly maintains the first rotor in the second latched position. 
   
   
     35. The combination according to  claim 23  wherein the catch block and catch arm cooperate to limit pivoting of the catch block relative to the catch arm to a predetermined range.